WITHFULL REGULATOR LOCOMOTIVE PERFORMANCE THEN AND NOW

MERCHANT Navy Pacific No.35028ClanLine is generally regarded as one of the most reliable mainline steam locomotives, turning in top-class performances time and time again, constrained only at times by the imposition of the 75mph speed limit. This not only holds the locomotive back when time needs to be recovered but can result in excess braking and the use of harder engine working – and there fore more fuel than necessary, especially when faced with a climb after running down hill for some miles. Also, of course, extra wear and tear and higher maintenance costs result from this way of working. Significant extra maintenance costs would accrue if the speed limit were to be raised permanently but I can see no reason why, say, a10mph excess should not be allowed in specified situations by agreement with those concerned before hand and all those on the footplate at the time. A prime example of this would be the Southern’s west of England route to Exeter via Salisbury where the extra impetus gained on the down hill sections would benefit speed, fueluse, and wear and tear on the subsequent up hill sections. Approaching And over in both directions would bean example and I will come back to this in the description of the UK Railtours ‘John Farrow Salute’below.

I had booked for the ‘John Farrow Salute’early and made sure of being at Victoria in good time for the 8.46am departure by catching the 6.38am Southampton Airport Parkway to Waterloo. This is a train which, in normal times, is very full, but on August 18, as a result of the pandemic and holidays, it was comfortably loaded. It ran fast from Win chester to Waterloo in 56 minutes 17 seconds